Iowa Old Press

The Davenport Daily Gazette
Davenport, Scott Co, Iowa
Thursday morning, 14 December 1865
Vol. XL, No 289, page 2 of 2, column 1

IOWA CITY NEWS
               ----
BY FRANK FOREST.
                ----
 [For the Gazette.] TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 1865.
TO THE END OF THE ROAD AND BACK.
On Wednesday last we made a trip to Kellogg, the western terminus of the M.
& M. R. R.  The first station west from Iowa City is Oxford, some nine
miles.  The Post Office formerly bearing that name has been changed to the
euphonious name of Medora; why we were not advised.  Within the last year
two or three houses have been added to this flourishing village(?)  One man,
(son of Erin,) runs the whole institution--post office, water-tank, hotel,
store--store of private praties [sic] and bacon--Mayor, Clerk, policeman,
preacher, doctor and lawyer.  It is an immense town, occupies all the ground
it stands on.  Homestead is next; some twenty miles west of Iowa City.  The
Post Office bears this name.  This is one of the several flouishing [sic]
villages composing the Amana colony, and the past year seems to have added
several new buildings to its former number.  Five miles farther west is
another small village, and some three miles south of their main
manufacturing town north of the Iowa river.  The country surrounding these
colonies presents a high state of cultivation, and plainly shows that
abundant yields from its soil rewards the frugal and master husbandman.  We
want more just such enterprising people. A more independent class of people
do not live on Western soil than those composing this colony.  They are
indedependent [sic] in the true sense of the word.  They produce their own
material from which they manufacture their own cloths, wearing apparel,
leather, boots and shoes, flour, and wares of various varieties, the surplus
of which they sell and exchange for such articles not manufactured by them.

The next town is Marengo, the Iowa county seat.  It contains, say 1,500
inhabitants, and is located on the bottom of Iowa river.  A much better site
could be found for a town, high and dry all seasons of the year, just south
of the depot of the M. & M. R. R.  We see Marengo is extending her
boundaries to the depot already, with new buildings.  We were told that
perhaps there is no place on the road, where so much travel stops as here.
Marengo is the nearest point to Cedar Rapids road, and a daily line of
four-horse coaches run from this point to Blairstown, a station on the Cedar
Rapids road, and distant nine miles from Marengo.  This line is owned, we
are informed, by John W. Porter, of this city, a son of the late Col. Kimbal
Porter, so long connected with the Western Stage Co.  And, by the way, Mr.
P. also runs a daily line of four horse coaches from this city to Cedar
Rapids, distance 25 miles, which is also largely patronized by the
travelling public.

The country about Marengo is fast developing in an aggricultural [sic] point
of view--fast assuming the appearance of those older localities, back in the
track of the Star of Empire where the industrial hand has plied itself for
fifty years or more.  Marengo is distant thirty miles west from Iowa City.

Next we come to Victor, twelve miles west of Marengo.  It is a thriving
little town brought into life by the railroad.  It contains about one
hundred and fifty inhabitants.  There has been some fifteen new buildings
erected the past season, among them a grain elevator some seventy-five feet
long, by thirty feet wide.  This town is pleasantly located on undulating
prairie, and is supported by a vast and rich scope of farming country.  It
is written upon the wall that Victor will be a thriving, healthy business
town.

Brooklyn is the next station and town upon the line of the M. & M. Road.  It
is seven miles west from Victor, and forty-nine miles west from Iowa City.
It is a town of some years growth, and long a station of the "Western Stage
Co.," is situated in the east part of Poweshiek county, and contains about a
thousand inhabitants.  It is finely situated on a high ridge of prairie,
partially skirted with a large scope of timber.  A half mile south-west from
the main town at the base of the ridge upon which it is located is the
railroad station.  Here is a good public house, warehouse, lumber yard,
besides several other business places, all of which make quite a little
"burg" by itself.  Some nine miles (we think) south-west from Brooklyn is
Montezuma, the Court House town of Poweshiek county, to which place a daily
stage runs upon the arrival of the Eastern train.

Eight miles westward is Malcome!  This was the terminus of the M. & M. road
some four or five months before reaching Grinnell.  The town (?) is located
on the broad prairie, and is so expensive [sic], that a single glance of the
eye can hardly enable the mind to comprehend its magnitude.  As the dashing
train neared its stopping point we looked and gazed, and looked again to
behold its centre and circumference.  Its centre was an oaken post, and its
circumferance [sic] the broad prairie, with no structures to mark the abode
of man!  But away over the hill, we were told, stood the lonely domicile of
Mr. Postmaster Malcome, from whence came the little "miss" to hang the
miniature mail bag upon the outstretched arm of the signal post and to
receive the one dropped by "Mc."  The business of the Malcome post office
must pay enormously.  The mail received contained "one" letter, addressed
"in the stat uf Nu York to Biddy O'Rorrark & hur thra childrin were Mavill
post ofis is in shitocky County, from Barny O'Rorrack.

Any one desirous of making themselves immortal by building up a town, can
have the opportunity at Malcome.

Grinnell, eight miles west of Malcome, and sixty-five from Iowa City, is a
thriving town of some 1500 inhabitants or more.  It was planted by our
worthy Member of Congress, Hon. J. B. Grinnell, whose name it bears, than
whom a more active and energetic citizen Iowa does not contain.  Here is
located the Iowa College, founded by Mr. Grinnell, in a flourishing
operation, under the presidency of Rev. George F. Magoun, one of the ablest,
and most eloquent divines and orators of the West, besides he's a ripe
scholar.  Prof. H. W. Parker, connected with the institution from the first,
we believe, still maintains a popular hold upon the College.  A National
Bank is also in operation here.  A spirit of enterprise and go ahead exists
in this town, excelled by few.  It is bound to become an important place on
the line of the M. & M. Road.  The road stopped here about a year and a half
which gave additional impulses to its life and growth, which still continues
in a healthy pace.

About three months ago the M. & M. road was extended twelve miles farther
westward, to a point on the south branch of Skunk river, in Jasper county,
and within nine miles of Newton, the county seat.  The new station at the
present terminus of the road is named "Kellogg," in honor of Judge A. A.
Kellogg, a prominent citizen of Jasper county, and the owner of a fine farm
adjacent thereto.  Kellogg is of three months growth, and already contains
about twenty buildings, occupied by about a hundred inhabitants.  There is a
public house, kept by Ben. Manning of Newton, where passengers can dine,
while the coaches of the Western Stage Company are making ready to convey
them toward the setting sun.  Here also is a regularly established
postoffice.  There seems to be considerable conflict of names.  Manning
first called the place "Manning's Station."  some of the people thereabouts
call it "Jasper City."  The Railroad Company call it "Kellogg," and Uncle
Sam calls it "Kimball," the name of the postoffice.  It seems to us, that it
would be better, and more convenient, should the place bear the same names
as that of the postoffice, or vice versa, Kimball, or Kellogg, or
[column 2]
Kellogg, or Kimball [repeated].  However, the town is known now, as Kellogg,
and that postoffice as Kimball.

The country from Grinnell to Kellogg is rough and new.  The road passes
through cuts fifty feet deep, and perhaps 500 feet long.  There are some six
cuts of similar extent within six miles distance.  This is said to be the
roughest and hardest portion of the line of road from Davenport to Des
Moines.  The cost of constructing it from Grinnell to Kellogg, is said to
have reached $800,000, and will not fall short of $1,000,000 when completed.
  In closing this sketch of what we saw and learned in "our trip to the end
of the road," we wish to mention our indebtedness to C. B. McLaughlin, Esq.,
the efficient mail agent, for courtesies and information concerning the
development and growth of the country and towns along the M. & M.
thoroughfare.  Mr. McL. has been in the service of the postoffice department
since very shortly after Mr. Lincoln's first inauguration, and is still
retained on an extended lease.  He makes a good agent, with whom all
concerned are satisfied.
  Conductor S. C. Root, also gave us many facts worthy of note.  Mr. R. has
been a Conductor on the M. & M. road since the advent of the steam horse in
Iowa City, in 1856.  His long experience adds confidence to his skill and
efficiency.